An expansion 25 years in the making, cardiologist Dr. Kishor Vora unveiled the region’s first office-based cardiac and vascular catheterization lab with technology that’s the first of its kind in the U.S.
At a ceremony Tuesday, Vora and his mentor and former medical partner, Dr. Robert Reed, cut the ribbon on the OHV CadioVascular Center. While addressing the crowd, the two said they dreamed about this expansion as long as 25 years ago when Vora relocated to Owensboro.
“The success of this program is due to a young cardiologist that has a work ethic second to none,” Reed said.
Until 2000, there was no solution for any vein disorders other than intensive surgery that required a long recovery time and left significant scarring. But in 2000, a new procedure called radiofrequency occlusion was approved within the medical field and Dr. Vora became the first cardiologist in the country to perform this procedure.
Judge-Executive Al Mattingly who also attended the ribbon cutting said it was Vora’s “servant’s heart” that drives him to offer the best for his patients. Vora said the motivating factor for the new cath lab was concern for his patient’s budget.
“Healthcare costs are going up,” Vora said. “This is the primary reason for this cath lab — to bring the cost down for the patient.”
According to Vora, tests run through a cath lab in a private office are one-third the cost of the same tests run at a hospital.
Dr. Lior Shamai, the second cardiologist at Owensboro Heart and Vascular, said Vora is known for pushing the envelope when it comes to technology for his patients.
“I have worked in multi-billion dollar facilities and they don’t have the same technology as we have here,” he said.
The public was invited to view the center’s new Shimadzu Trinias C16 cath lab, which will allow Vora and Shamai to conduct heart caths — a procedure used to diagnose and treat cardiovascular conditions — in-office rather than outsourcing to other facilities. The doctors can also place stents and balloons in arteries and veins not associated with the heart.
The machine will allow for side to side scanning motions, which is unique to its competition. This helps with accessing arteries through arms rather than the groin. It also exposes patients to lower doses of X-ray radiation and its technologies allow for clearer pictures in the event a patient moves during scans.
The first scans on the new machine were run mid-June. After training the staff, heart caths are now offered in office regularly.
The OHV CadioVascular Center is located at 1200 Breckenridge Street.
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